"Nearly a Million Wreaths" Placed Here to Honor Fallen Veterans

Paul Strand : Dec 14, 2015
CBN News

Tens of thousands of volunteers showed up to do the work.

(Arlington, VA)—[CBN News] Volunteers placed at least 901,000 wreaths on the graves of military veterans all across the country, this weekend, for a nationwide ceremony known as Wreaths Across America. (Screengrab via CBN News)

Wayne Hanson, chairman of the event, told CBN News that's the most wreaths ever placed since this tradition began.

"It's very emotional to see the people who've come out and supported us," Hanson said. "We receive no government funds, so everything you see here and what gets done—901,000 wreaths across the country—are all paid for by individuals with 15 dollar donations and some corporate support."

Tens of thousands of volunteers showed up to do the work.

Many of them were at Arlington National Cemetery. Again, the day was a record-breaker, with volunteers placing some 240,000 wreaths at the grave sites, more than in any past year.

Wreaths arrived at Arlington National Cemetery after a week-long convoying from Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine.

That's where this tradition began in 1992. Morrill Worcester had 5,000 extra wreaths that year and he didn't want to see them just thrown away.

He had great respect for America's armed forces and decided to place them on graves at Arlington. The Worcesters did this quietly and privately for several years.

But then about 10 years ago, the public caught wind of this and volunteers from all over the nation began to send money and volunteer their time to honor the veterans by placing wreaths at their graves.

Now even the convoying of the wreaths from Harrington to Arlington National Cemetery has become a huge and hallowed event. People line the roads with flags and cheer and salute wherever the convoy travels. Ceremonies are held at numerous sites between Harrington and Arlington.

Wayne Hanson has been at many of these events in Arlington, but this year accompanied the convoy of wreaths all along its way from Maine to the Washington DC area. The former Army military policeman said it was a time of tears over and over again.

"They said come and enjoy the convoy and have some fun," Hanson told CBN News. "I had a lot of fun, but I've never cried so much either. It's very emotional."

As the trucks parked at Arlington, volunteers mobbed them to grab armloads of wreaths and then fanned out across the vast national cemetery.

At each gravesite, those placing a wreath then stood and said aloud the name of the deceased lying there. (Screengrab via CBN News)

At some of these graves, whole families or groups of friends of the deceased gathered around the headstone, shed some tears and reminisced about the life of their departed loved one.

It fit well with an admonition given by Karen Worcester of the Worcester Wreath Company, who said at the opening ceremony, "Remember not their deaths, but their lives."

Many of those at Arlington told CBN News they came out of a deep and abiding appreciation for the sacrifices made by America's armed forces, especially now at a time when the country has been at war for 14 years straight.

Again and again, person after person mentioned that many of those in Arlington and other cemeteries paid the ultimate price and laid down their lives for their country, and America must never forget them.

One common sight was parents and children volunteering together to place wreaths. Adults at gravesite after gravesite could be heard telling their kids about the sacrifices of these fallen ones and how America must always honor those who died for their country.

That fit well with the motto of Wreaths Across America: Remember, Honor, Teach.